I am Taiwo Akinlami, a SELF-MOTIVATED Social Worker and Social Empowerment Advocate™. I am a Public Interest and Social Development Legal Practitioner and arguably Africa’s foremost Child Rights/Protection and Family Strengthening THINKER and PRACTITIONER…I STUDY, OBSERVE & INTERPRET CHILDHOOD & her many & neglected MYSTERIES for the purpose of PRESERVING CHILDHOOD & transiting same to FUNCTIONAL ADULTHOOD.

1. There is no such thing as Children with Disability: there are only differently abled children. Therefore children are not disabled, they are only differently abled. Permit me to share with you the inspiring graduation speech of Eli, a boy with autism, at his 6th Grade graduation ceremony, posted on www. huffingtonpost.com ‘as we leave here today I have a challenge for all of you. We are all different. Not less, just different. We all have things we’re good at, things we need to work on, and things we need help with. Whenever you see someone else who is different, instead of just judging them or being a bully, I challenge you to offer help and treat that person with the kindness you have shown me over the last six years. Remember, all of you can make a difference in someone’s life. You’ve already made a difference in mine.’

2. Replace DISABILITY with THISABILITY: the word, ‘THISABILITY’ is the title of UNICEF campaign following the release of the State of the World’s Children Report, 2013, which focused on Children with Disabilities. I have since found another meaning for the word, which I have taken time to develop into a personal philosophy on this issue. I have changed the word to a phrase or call it, wordphrase: THISHIDDENABILITY. It simply means that if we agree that everything and everyone, who God created is good and it is for a purpose, we will deliberately depart from the popular position of the society and replace our perception of DISABILITY with THISABILITY. We must see children in this category as people with THISHIDDENABILITY that is not obvious to all but only few, who have deeper understating to see beyond the obvious. The foregoing belief will help us to bring the hidden potentials and abilities to the fore for the benefit of the child, his/her immediate family and humanity. The UNICEF report submits, ‘disability does not mean incapability: It is the wonderful diversity that enriches humankind.

3. Mental Myopia: The Only Disability I know: I think if there is anything like DISABILITY, it the people, who tagged others disabled, who are actually disabled. They suffer from a disability, known as Mental Myopia. It is self-inflicted. It is a mental and social disorder that makes someone or a group of people to refuse to see write off a person simply because he/she possess feature or capacities, which are not common. Those suffer from this disorder do not see beyond the present of a child because he/she is differently abled. They lack the emotional discipline and strength of character to see beyond the obvious, freeing themselves from popular opinion to embrace the genius of a child, who is simply different from other children and he or she is waiting to be discovered.

4. The Children, who are tagged, Disabled Do not Need Pity: John Foppe, was born with no arms. He wrote in his book, “What’s Your Excuse?’ the role his mother played in refusing to emphasize his so-called disability. The mother knew that if he was treated differently or indulged because of his so-called disability, he would never live a normal life; hence, she decided to throw self-pity away and face the reality of the situation. John turned out well. Today, he is independent. He was trained to do everything for himself. He is not a liability to anyone.

The journey continues tomorrow by the grace of God. Thank you for visiting and I charge you to Think the CHILD…Think TODAY…The FUTURE…